title: Transforming growth factor-beta 'reprograms' the differentiation of T helper 2 cells and promotes an interleukin 9-producing subset.
abstract: Since the discovery of T helper type 1 and type 2 effector T cell subsets 20 years ago, inducible regulatory T cells and interleukin 17 (IL-17)-producing T helper cells have been added to the 'portfolio' of helper T cells. It is unclear how many more effector T cell subsets there may be and to what degree their characteristics are fixed or flexible. Here we show that transforming growth factor-beta, a cytokine at the center of the differentiation of IL-17-producing T helper cells and inducible regulatory T cells, 'reprograms' T helper type 2 cells to lose their characteristic profile and switch to IL-9 secretion or, in combination with IL-4, drives the differentiation of 'T(H)-9' cells directly. Thus, transforming growth factor-beta constitutes a regulatory 'switch' that in combination with other cytokines can 'reprogram' effector T cell differentiation along different pathways.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Immunology, Medical Research Council National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, UK.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Veldhoen
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Uyttenhove
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Snick
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Helmby
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Westendorf
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Buer
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
authors.forename: Brigitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stockinger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology*; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016906:Interleukin-9 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D016906:Interleukin-9; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta